It may have never occurred to you that a paper shredder is among the most significant tools in your office. Without it, you may find it difficult to protect your trade secrets. Seasoned entrepreneurs and company managers understand the benefit of destroying company documents before letting them out through the backdoor in a dustbin. Careless disposal of company records can result in confidentiality breach incidents which may bring your firm to its knees.
Your tips on choosing the right paper shredder for your office should subsequently serve as a reminder of the benefits of getting a noise-free shredder. The shredder should be able to destroy credit cards, CDs, and DVDS safely. It’s difficult to know whether the machine is bound to jam after using it a handful of times. Ensure that it has a valid warranty certificate that’s accompanied by an after sale services policy.
Inbuilt safety measures
Paper shredders, like all electrical appliances, can be overloaded. This happens when you feed the shredder materials that are too thick for it to shred into pieces or if it’s kept running for too long at full capacity. The safety issue gets critical if the shredder is connected to an unsteady power source. Loose connections are often the cause of electric fires. Avoid this by going for a shredder with in-built safety measures. The machine should, for example, have a series of LED lights to indicate whether it’s overloaded or if the electric power isn’t of the right voltage to run the machine.
Energy saving
Office overhead bills can eat into your profits, grounding your ability to expand as fast as you may want to especially if you’re a startup. Energy efficiency rated products are therefore a must have in a 21st century office setup that seeks to adopt lean management strategies. The adoption of energy efficiency machines is significant if you’re also looking for ways to abide by best practices which may help you to push for tax rebates or reductions that green businesses attract. Remember that the sleep and the standby modes are significant energy saving features to look out for when buying a paper shredder for your office.
Design multi-functions
There isn’t a limit to the number of paper shredder designs to choose from. Consequently, your choice should be informed by company policy, in that, some companies only buy particular electronic brands. The available space is also a factor since getting a big shredder may mean doing away with some of the office furniture and equipment, a feat that may mean extra cost in warehouse space.
The machine’s shredding power should be able to handle the number of papers and other information storage materials that you wish to destroy on a daily basis. It pays if the machine can do other things besides paper shredding. For example, it could be a printer cum a scanner or a fax machine. This is advisable if you’re looking for a way to cut cost by having a one-stop-shop kind of device. Pay attention to how the shredder handles the paper shreds and the amount of waste that it can hold in its bin on a busy paper shredding day.